Xael - Singles (Apathy of the Immortal, The Last Arbiter, Watchers of Xan)

Singles - Apathy of The Immortal, The Last Arbiter, Watchers of Xan  
Xael
Test Your Metal Records
5 December 2017

I'm not gonna lie. I love Rapheumets Well. So when I heard that Nassaru had a new project, Xael, I was totally onboard. So, there are three singles that are released in a pay as you want format. This leads up to the full length album release later this year.

'Apathy of the Immortal' is maudlin lament. It evokes such sadness and loss. Even when the bombastic drumming kicks in, it's still shrouded in despair. You really feel as if you are on a Viking longboat fighting against the cold waters of the Atlantic.
'The Last Arbiter' kinda reminds me of background music whilst you are playing Mortal Combat. It's kick ass. Dark. Heavy. Pounding. 'Watchers of Xan' sounds like a Celtic prayer. It's beautifully put together. The vocals are haunting and the drumming tribal. I look forward to hearing more from Xael. If the rest of the album is anything like the three singles released thus far, symphonic black metal fans are in for a treat!


The band comments:

“We will have eight songs standard and two instrumental tracks. Instead of releasing an album upfront, we want fans to share in our progress in a musical series, releasing two songs a month to allow more time for fans to appreciate the work and for us to best represent the songs in some form of art to convey the entirety of our vision….The album series is called ‘The Last Arbiter’, referring to the protagonist’s mission in the story and his pursuit of an unattainable purpose in pacifying the destructive nature of the sentient world.” Nassaru adds. “It will be different and very diverse, but at its core it is extreme metal, melodies in abundance, and storytelling bard style! So I believe it will be refreshing…something different combining symphonic and folk elements with brutal metal…We want to paint a soundscape, a myriad of imaginative and diverse environments while exploring the complications of being sentient and self-aware.”